Another rose garden open to the public, this example features over 10,000 individual rose plants of 550 species terraced over 4.5 acres.

Depending on how they are planted, roses can be used as part of a formal garden, like the famous Versailles, or an informal one such as a cottage garden that also includes perennials. Roses are available in shrub form, as climbers and can even be planted in containers. There is a rose suited for just about any spot in your garden, as long as there is adequate sunlight.

Roses came to popularity due to their beautiful flowers and alluring fragrance. They have stayed popular because they are a tough plant that is long-lived. Repeat-blooming roses will put on a show for many months, but they do require more upkeep as they tend to be more susceptible to insects and disease. Single-blooming roses are great for those who don’t want to worry about maintenance, or for those who desire a strong fragrance. In recent years, rose breeders have been working to cross the modern repeat-bloomers with the old roses to create the ideal mix of continuous blooms and disease resistance (to learn more, see this article: David Austin's Garden Roses).

Below we have compiled beautiful rose gardens, ideas for using roses in floral arrangements, and answers to our readers’ questions about roses. We hope you enjoy these resources and get ideas for using roses in your own garden.

Questions About Growing Roses

I’m afraid I overpruned my climbing roses this spring. Twelve weeks later, the rose plants still look terrible. Is there any hope that they will bloom again?See answer

I love the blooms of roses, but the plants look so stark growing alone in a bed. Can I combine roses with other plants for a better effect?See answer

I put in a dozen hybrid teas five years ago, and they looked awesome for three years. But two years ago they began having trouble. There is severe black spotting on the leaves, which eventually fall off; that leads to weak cane growth and poor roses in general.See answer

What kinds of perennials do you recommend with roses — low creepers or tall spires?See answer